Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika (God bless Africa) was originally composed as hymn in 1897 by Enoch Sontonga, a teacher at a methodist mission school near Johannesburg. The song became the official anthem of the African National Congress (ANC) and a symbol of the anti-apartheid movement. It came to represent the suffering of the oppressed and was considered the unofficial national anthem of South Africa.

Because of its connection to the ANC, the song was banned by the apartheid government. In 1997 — three years after apartheid ended — Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika was combined with the former South African anthem,Die Stem van Suid Afrika (The Voice of South Africa) — to form a new national anthem, which is still sung in South Africa today.

Union Buildings

Today I journey through the history of South Africa, beginning from the house the sits on the highest hill of Pretoria – The Union Building. Like a castle on a hill, the Union Buildings tower over the Pretoria city centre. The buildings are situated near the top of Meintjieskop and from this vantage point a visitor has uninterrupted views of Pretoria’s tall skyscrapers and the surrounding jacaranda-lined suburbs. Also clearly visible on some of the opposite hills cradling the city are two other landmarks: Freedom Park and the Voortrekker Monument. It sits on very a green land, with its face looking onto the daughter hill that hosts the Voortrekker Monument, another symbol of the apartheid struggle.

Unfortunately the inside of the buildings are not open to the public but visitors can walk right up to them, while the terraced gardens and lawns present many spots and angles from which to photograph this magnificent structure. During the day there are arts and crafts for sale next to the parking area and one might even spot a local artists busy sketching pictures of their surroundings. The public spaces are open until late in the evening and the parking area and grounds are well patrolled by police. At night many people come here by car for a quick stop to enjoy the view of city’s night lights. People are allowed to have picnics, walks, take pictures and enjoy the environs of this place.

Freedom Park

Sitting on a 52 hectare undeveloped hill overlooking the city of Pretoria. It was here that the nation’s heroes would be honoured and the complex story of South Africa and its people would be told. Freedom Park is a memorial to honour those who sacrificed their lives to win freedom. It also celebrates and explores the country’s diverse peoples, and our common humanity. A tour around the park brings you closer to nature, and indoor are filled with education through videos, pieces of artifacts that are rich in the history of the apartheid struggle.

Voortrekker Monument

This majestic monument sits in a nature reserve and is easily visible for all who arrive in the tshwane region by road. Our trip was derailed by a tire puncture, but in no time, we found help from a guy who works here, and the tour began. The monument was built to honour God, under the leadership of Paul Kruger, then the president of South Africa. The Cenotaph, situated in the centre of the Cenotaph Hall, is the central focus of the monument. In addition to being viewable from the Hall of Heroes it can also be seen from the dome at the top of the building, from where much of the interior of the monument can be viewed. Our tour guide says that the person who sat here in the monument decided who sits at the union building and the fact that its easy to see the monument from union building, they would be reminded everytime who put them there.

Apartheid Museum

The Apartheid Museum is hosted at the Gold Reef City in Johannesburg. A consortium, called Akani Egoli (Gold Reef City), put in a bid that included the commitment to building a museum. Their bid was successful, the Gold Reef City Casino was built and an adjacent piece of land given for the construction of a museum. Taking picture inside the Museum is prohibited but there is a lot to learn. The tour takes at least three hours, taking you through the history of the struggle, the life and work of Nelson Mandela, the Rivonia Trial, apartheid machine and many more.

8115 Vilakazi Street and Hector Pieterson Museum

8115 Vilakazi Street in Orlando West might be the most visited house address in South Africa, but am not certain. This was home for Nelson Mandela before he went to prison and 11 days after he came out of prison. His wife Winnie and the children kept staying here while the husband was serving a prison term at the Robben Island Prison. If you were here a while back, you will notice that the house has been renovated to prevent it from falling apart, but the walls represent the original house built in 1945. Vilakazi street attracts all activities, this is where young South Africans who have made it in life come to enjoy the weekend, displaying their expensive toys on the roads while they occupy different restaurants that run through the street.

Kliptown Open Air Museum

The Kliptown Air Museum is where delegates to the congress to the congress of people met to adopt the freedom charter in 1955. This is now the cornerstone of the bill of rights and the South African Constitution. The museum and squire is dedicated to Walter Sisulu, a Stalwart of the freedom struggle.

There are many places I haven’t visited, I hope I will have a chance to do that on my next visit here in South Africa. My vacation has not ended, will be headed to Amanzimtoti for Christmas, and travel back to Johannesburg to prepare my travel back home. So you still be seeing me around. See you in KwaZulu Natal.

Over the years I have learned about many things including but not limited to computers, business and education. The knowledge acquired helped me develop website designing, entrepreneurship and community activism skills.

These skills help me, run a small mobile money business, with the aim of employing at least 3 youths before the end of 2017 and Gagawala graphics ltd, one of the fastest growing website design, graphics design and printing business in Kampala, Uganda employing 8 young skilled professionals who didn’t have jobs. In all the businesses I involve, I like to emphasize self sustainability.

This is the reason why I honour invitations to hold workshops in rural and rural-urban areas.

The last free entrepreneurship workshop, I facilitated was in Masese slum at Jinja(Eastern Uganda).

To make it inclusive and have maximum attention from everyone, I suggested we have a question and answer session instead of a speech kind or black board kind of class.

Everyone agreed. Questions started to flow from participants. One of the questions the participants asked was “What things do we have to consider, to be able to start a business?” Answers contributed were idea, market, labour, skill, capital and time. I emphasized that without embracing all the 6 elements, the business my not grow or even serve it’s purpose in a single day. Business the discussion, we had a little physical activity in which participants made a circle while holding each others’ hands raising it up high.

This activity helps participants to work together for productivity. And also help relieve and resolve what’s learned from the discussions.

More activities at the event were poping, breakdance, sports workshops and dance competitions happened.

Today and reporting from the city of Johannesburg. Its said that this, is a divided city – the poor mostly live in the southern suburbs or on the peripheries of the far north, and the middle class live largely in the suburbs of the central and north. This is my third visit in Johannesburg and for me its a special visit. I have come here while on a harry to get somewhere else, and that place has always been East London in eastern cape – a place I have called home for the times I have visited South Africa. Most of the friend that lived in East London are now back in Nairobi, today, its sad am not visiting East London.

Am here with my wife Naomi, we just got married and what away to start our marriage. Jo’bourg as they call it is a place full of life. Joburg is a vibrant, diverse, cosmopolitan city: a melting pot of nationalities, races, religions and cultures. It offers a unique blend of first-world sophistication and emerging market vitality. The City is renowned for its hospitality – possibly because many residents weren’t born here but have been attracted by the lively job market and upbeat lifestyle. Joburgers excel at making people feel welcome. As foreign investment continues to grow, Joburg is becoming home to large concentrations of foreign residents and it is not unusual to hear French, Portuguese, German, Italian, Greek, Hindi or Mandarin around town.

We started our trip here with a stay in Kempton Park, a town thats hosts the O R Tambo International Airport. Every morning we jogged the streets of Kempton Park. Took a Gautrain to Sandton, an Uber to Emperor Palace and a taxi back to our hotel. Since we arrived here everybody has been so kind to us so much that we have felt at home struggling in our Zulu disability. Many times I have visited here have not helped me in polishing my Zulu, I know a little of Xhosa but when you are in Jo’burg ‘Xhosa is a conquered tribe’ my phrasebook comes in handy.

The Union Building in Pretoria, it’s a must visit.

We then moved to Riviera, down the streets after our drop at the Sandton Gautrain Station. This neighborhood is home to the Johannesburg Zoo and the Military Museum of South Africa. When jogging in the morning, we meet a lot of people jogging too. The pake of the Lake Zoo is good for walks and relaxing and it offers nature lovers a peaceful time to enjoy and reflect on the sights and sounds. We have had the opportunity to visit this places, and we are grateful for the value they have added in making our trip memorable. One of the things we really wanted to do in the Bungee jump at the Orlando towers, well, we managed to get there after a lot of missed turns with our Cell C TUK TUK driver and when we finally did, we didn’t get the days right and we only managed to do a tour. The bungee jump starts on wednesday and ends on the Sunday, the other days they only do tours.

We have made two trips to Pretoria, one Metro Rail which took 1 hour and forty five minutes, with a million stops. When we finally got there we were so pressed for time we could manage only a walk on the streets and a few photos. Thank God that the following day, our Host organized another trip, we drove in his 2006 Lexus Sedan on the Gauteng road and in less 30 minutes we were in Pretoria. We spent the morning touring the downtown, Union building and the Freedom Park, and our afternoon at Voortrekker Monument.

Johannesburg is weird, because half of it is like Los Angeles. It feels like just wealthy parts of L.A. But half of it is severe slummy, something like Rio De Janiero or something. So it’s kind of weird, because it’s both happening at the same time. But this is home for many, the half wealthy and the half poor, going around with their toils, some in posh coupe convertible enjoy the nice roads, the N1, N2, N3s and others walking to find their destination. Some jogging around the Johannesburg Zoo, some cycling and some wondering why they have to live with animals in the city. Everybody here calls this home, and its been home for us too. But beauty, beauty is seen in everything, in the posh skies of Sandton or the poor streets of Orlando, we see beauty everywhere.
As we continue to tour this great nation, tomorrow we head to Kwa Zulu Natal, we will be in Durban City enjoying the sun and the listening to the songs of the Ocean. We will keep up with our updates on the social media platform. You will love the pictures.